October 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FRA announces the charter renewal of the RSAC, a Federal Advisory Committee established by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act to provide information, advice, and recommendations to the FRA Administrator on matters relating to railroad safety. This charter renewal will be effective for two years from the date it is filed with Congress.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The IRS is soliciting comments concerning Disclosure of Returns and Return Information by Other Agencies.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 that restricts overhaul and repair of a naval vessel in a shipyard outside the United States or Guam.

The Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is issuing this notice of intent to publish a temporary order to schedule two synthetic benzimidazole-opioid substances, including their isomers, esters, ethers, salts, and salts of isomers, esters, and ethers whenever the existence of such isomers, esters, ethers, and salts is possible, in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. When it is issued, the temporary scheduling order will impose the regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to schedule I controlled substances on persons who handle (manufacture, distribute, reverse distribute, import, export, engage in research, conduct instructional activities or chemical analysis, or possess) or propose to handle these two specified substances.

This proposed rule would update HUD's regulations that require participating agencies to provide in-person counseling to clients that prefer this format to reflect advances in technology, align with client engagement preferences, and preserve consumer protections. The proposed rule would amend HUD's regulations to allow housing counseling agencies to use alternative communication methods, including virtual meeting tools, in lieu of providing in-person services. Participating agencies that choose not to provide in-person services would be required to refer clients to local providers that provide such services, when requested.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of the Army proposes to establish a new system of records titled, Army Safety Management Program Records (ASMPR)-A0385-1 DAS. It supports the management and prevention of work-related illnesses and injuries by individuals engaged in DoD work-related activities while on or off the worksite. The system automates accidents, mishaps, safety inspections, and workplace hazard investigation data collection, identifies causal factors and potentially unsafe practices or conditions, and makes recommendations for corrective actions to prevent recurrence and reduce hazardous conditions. Additionally, DoD is issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which proposes to exempt this system of records from certain provisions of the Privacy Act, elsewhere in today's issue of the Federal Register.

On October 7, 2022, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released the interim final rule (IFR), ``Implementation of Additional Export Controls: Certain Advanced Computing and Semiconductor Manufacturing Items; Supercomputer and Semiconductor End Use; Entity List Modification'' (October 7 IFR), which amended the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement controls on advanced computing integrated circuits (ICs), computer commodities that contain such ICs, and certain semiconductor manufacturing items, and to make other EAR changes to implement appropriate related controls, including on certain ``U.S. person'' activities. This Advanced Computing/ Supercomputing IFR (AC/S IFR) addresses comments received in response to only the part of the October 7 IFR that controls advanced computing ICs and computer commodities that contain such ICs. This rule also makes other changes to make the controls more effective and less burdensome, including by correcting and clarifying the controls to more effectively achieve the policy objectives identified in the October 7 IFR. This AC/S IFR is published concurrently with a second BIS IFR, ``Export Controls on Semiconductor Manufacturing Items,'' which addresses public comments received in response to other portions of the October 7 IFR. Together, these IFRs revise the October 7 IFR controls to more effectively achieve BIS's focused national security policy objectives. These revisions protect U.S. national security interests by further restricting China's ability to obtain critical technologies to modernize its military capabilities in ways that threaten the national security interests of the United States and its allies.

The Controlled Substances Act provides for civil penalties for the distribution of a laboratory supply to a person who uses, or attempts to use, that laboratory supply to manufacture a controlled substance or a listed chemical, if that distribution was made with reckless disregard for the illegal uses to which such laboratory supply will be put. The term laboratory supply is defined as a listed chemical or any chemical, substance, or item on a special surveillance list published by the Attorney General which contains chemicals, products, materials, or equipment used in the manufacture of controlled substances and listed chemicals. The Drug Enforcement Administration is hereby publishing a final notice to update the Special Surveillance List.

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing for the Commission's consideration concerning a negotiated service agreement. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for the information collection requirements specified in its Gear Certification Standard.

On May 21, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings, LLC (Scripps or Licensee), the licensee of KTNV-TV, channel 7, Las Vegas, Nevada, requesting the substitution of channel 26 for channel 13 at Las Vegas, in the Table of TV Allotments. King Kong Broadcasting, Inc. (King Kong), the licensee of low power television station KGNG-LD on channel 26 at Las Vegas, filed opposition comments and counter-proposed that channel 26 instead be allotted as a new vacant channel at Las Vegas. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau denies King Kong's opposition and counter-proposal, amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 26 for channel 13 at Las Vegas, and directs Scripps to file an application for a construction permit for channel 26.

Findings of research misconduct have been made against Lara S. Hwa, Ph.D. (Respondent), who is an Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University (BU), and formerly was a Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). Respondent engaged in research misconduct in research supported by U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) funds, specifically National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants K99/R00 AA027576, T32 AA007573, F31 AA027129, F32 AA026485, R01 AA019454, U01 AA020911, R01 AA025582, and P60 AA011605 and included in two grant applications submitted for PHS funds, specifically K99 AA027576 submitted to NIAAA, NIH, and R01 DK136486 submitted to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH. The administrative actions, including supervision for a period of four (4) years, were implemented beginning on August 24, 2023, and are detailed below.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Department of Commerce, requests public comments on certain text-based negotiations before the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge, and Folklore (Traditional Cultural Expressions). WIPO will organize a diplomatic conference to negotiate a treaty focusing on intellectual property (IP), genetic resources (GRs), and traditional knowledge (TK) associated with GRs no later than 2024. Public comments are requested regarding the negotiations on genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs (OUSEA) announces the appointment of members who will serve on the OUSEA Performance Review Board (PRB). The PRB is responsible for reviewing the appraisals and ratings recommended by the senior employees' supervisors and written responses from the senior employee, if any, as well as any other reviews requested, to ensure that recommended ratings are supported and appropriate in the OUSEA, Bureau of Economic Analysis and the US Census Bureau. The PRB provides recommendations to the Appointing Authority regarding the objectives and operation of the SES and ST performance appraisal and reward systems, as required. The purpose of the PRB is to provide fair and impartial review of senior executive service and senior professional performance ratings, bonus and pay adjustment recommendations and Presidential Rank Award nominations. The term of each PRB member will expire on December 31, 2025.

The Postal Service proposes to revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]), to reflect changes coincident with the recently announced mailing services price adjustments.

The Department of State (DOS) announces the persons who will serve on the Senior Executive Service 2023 Performance Review Board.